In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,790 of Nov. 9, 1982, an olive picker is disclosed in which the picker head is mounted on the end of a hand manipulatable, elongated, handle, the rotor being powered by a flexible conduit to a source of power at ground level.
The power was preferably a 12 volt battery and the motor electric and reversible, so that the hooked tines cooperated with a ledge on the housing to detach olives while passing through leaves and twigs.
It has been found that easy change of the size and spacing of the hooked tines, or pickers, would be advantageous to conform to the size, or stage of ripeness of olives on a particular olive tree or in a particular olive grove.
It has also been found that it would be useful to be able to control the speed of rotation of the rotor and tines to conform to the stage of ripeness, density of foliage in the tree, or trees, and to conform to the age, skill and physical condition of the operator. Some young, robust, or strong older operators can pick olives with the picking apparatus of the invention at top speed, but it is useful to be able to reduce speed to accommodate those less able to compete in the wear and tear of a day's work or when their stronger brethren become weary from olive picking during the day.